Dinner at Home with Friends

A few of use had been trying to get together for dinner for a awhile and it ended up being an early birthday celebration for me (for which I did all the cooking).

• 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

  France, Champagne

  The best showing I've had of this in awhile. Yeasty, yellow citrus with great minerality. Some custardy notes on the palate with great acidity. Long finish. Delicious.

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• 2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  A mix of yellow and white orchard fruits with some juicy lemon and white floral notes. Oyster shell and crushed stones with a touch of spice in the background. The same fruits on the fairly structured palate. Good concentration with a medium plus finish. I was impressed with the acidity it had for the vintage. Very nice.

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• 2000 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé

  France, Champagne

  A very pretty mix of red raspberry and strawberry with a bit of watermelon too. Floral component. Same flavors on the palate too. Great minerality and acidity all throughout. Lengthy finish with good power.

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• 1996 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  We went in with very low hopes and were pleasantly surprised. This bottle still had good life left to it, but was clearly mature. Baked lemon and orchard fruit on the nose and palate with some toasted nuts and nut oil. Nice spice and mineral notes as well. No signs of Premox on this bottle. Very nice acidity with a moderate finish.

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• 2001 Domaine Ramonet Chevalier-Montrachet

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Lemon peel with some apple and asian pear aromas and flavors. Crushed rocks with some green fern notes. Pretty white floral too. Leaner styling on the palate, but still had decent fruit to it. Good acidity. Moderate body and finish. A very nice wine.

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• 2000 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Opened about 60-75 minutes before serving and not decanted. An seductive nose of red berries, damp earth and asian spices. Much of the same on the palate too. Great acidity on the finish with a relatively firm structure. A very long finish. While there certainly is no harm in drinking this now, I think it will get better with a couple more years. Delicious!

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• 1998 Domaine Leroy Clos de la Roche

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

  Opened about 60-75 minutes before serving, and not decanted. An interesting and pretty mix of red and black berry fruit, wet earth and darker spice on both the nose and palate. Fantastic floral component. I really enjoyed the texture. Medium body and finish with good acidity. Lacking some in structure compared to the 00 Roumier Bonnes Mares in the next glass over. Perhaps that caused us to lose focus on this one a bit. I would certainly be very happy to drink this any time though.

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• 1998 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Opened about 90 minutes before trying and served alongside the 98 Leroy RSV. A huge spicy nose of dark red cranberry and raspberry with a very sexy asian spice box. Ripe and fruit forward on the palate with immense spice there too. Notes of hoisin and soy with a great earthy component. Great texture on the medium bodied palate. Very long finish. Outstanding wine that still has a ways to go.

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• 1998 Domaine Leroy Romanée St. Vivant

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Opened roughly 90 minutes before trying and served alongside the 98 Leroy Beaux Monts. As great as the Beaux Monts was, this was an immense step up. Very powerful aromatic profile of dark red berry with earth, soaring floral and a seemingly endless array of asian spice. Ripe and powerful on the palate as well and exhibiting the same dark red, with touches of black cherry, fruit profile. Great texture and a very long finish. There is still some nice structure here and if I had some in the cellar, while its in a great spot and I'd be tempted to drink them, I'd like to see it again with a little more age. Our wine of the night.

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• 1998 Domaine Leroy Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Opened about 2 hours before serving. A dark red/almost black cherry and berry fruit profile with some meaty spice and great earth notes. Typical Leroy floral, but not as much as the previous wines tonight. Relatively fruit forward on the palate with some good mineral structure. Medium body and finish. Nice acidity with well integrated tannins. Quite good.

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• 2003 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Opened about 2 hours before serving. A ripe fruit profile, dark red/black cherry and berry, intermixed with earth and lighter spice. Ripe dark fruit on the palate as well with moderate structure, acidity, and finish. I didn't enjoy this wine tonight as much as I have other evenings, but of course it was up against some stiff competition. Overall a very good wine though and I'm glad to have some in the cellar.

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• 1999 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Opened about 2 hours before serving, but not decanted. The best of this flight. Very powerful dark berry aromatics with earth and some smoky, meaty spice. Leather notes as well. Dense and powerful fruit and spice on the palate. Quite a bit of backbone remaining. Medium plus bodied with a long gripping finish. Great acidity. Fantastic!

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• 2004 Alois Kracher Chardonnay TBA #9 Nouvelle Vague

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Identical to the other bottle I opened about 2 weeks ago. Its in such a great place, but I'm going to try to hold my last one for a few more years.

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A fantastic evening with great friends. Thank you Cory, Debbie, Kevin, Jamie and of course Deanna!